PATA India Chapter has announced that it will organise The Tourism PowerHouse from August 5-6, 2018 at The Park New Delhi. The announcement was made at PATA India Chapter’s 7th Update and Outlook Meeting in cooperation with the Ministry of Tourism at The Claridges, New Delhi, which saw in attendance, Rashmi Verma, Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and Chairman – PATA India Chapter; Suman Billa, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism and MP Mall, Chairman and Managing Director, Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC). The PowerHouse will be presided over by Verma and Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA. Speaking about the PowerHouse, Verma said, “We hope to draw eminent speakers from all over the world to speak on contemporary issues like responsible tourism, sustainable tourism, marketing, digital marketing, etc. Eminent speakers will be invited from various countries who will be sharing global trends, initiatives and the best practices required to emulate in our country. We are hopeful that apart from the industry, state tourism boards, other organisations and stakeholders will also be participating because it is going to be a very useful interaction for us as well as all the stakeholders who have a stake in promoting tourism to this country.”  

Tourism Ireland has partnered with Cricket Ireland and the Embassy of Ireland to promote the T20 International series between India and Ireland to be held in Malahide, Dublin. With the first T20 international match underway, the second will be held on June 29. The Indian team will show its wonders on Irish soil for the first time in over a decade, since they played an ODI in Belfast back in 2007. The match will be streamed on Sony Six at 8.30 pm IST. An interesting turning point to this tournament is the presence of the iconic cricket star Ajay Jadeja as the commentator for the matches. During his stay in Dublin, Jadeja will have the opportunity to tour around the elegant city and experience the best of the Irish hospitality. He will visit the famous iconic attractions like Malahide Castle, Ha Penny Bridge, Irish National Stud and Japanese Gardens, Guinness Store House and Kilkenny Castle. Speaking on the occasion, HE Brian McElduff, Ambassador of Ireland to India, said, “This is the first-ever initiative where Tourism Ireland and Cricket Ireland have joined hands to celebrate the beautiful game of cricket and promote Ireland. We are proud to be a part of this significant event and hope this occasion will further strengthen the relationship between the two countries.” Tickets for the matches are available on TicketMaster. Further details are also available on the official Cricket Ireland.

India Convention Promotion Bureau (ICPB) will conduct its ‘Conventions India Conclave’ at Biswa Bangla Convention Centre, Kolkata, from August 29-31, 2018. Themed on ‘Scaling New Heights – Building for the Future’, the focus of the flagship event will be on how ICPB can enhance its activities and compete in the international market. The body aims to focus creating opportunity of bidding for international conferences. A statement from ICPB stated, “The 11th Conclave is very significant for us as ICPB will be opening its first State Chapter in Kolkata during the Conclave on August 30, 2018.” The two-day event will have sessions and panel discussions on various topics such as, ‘A panel discussion on Public Private Partnership for Destination Marketing, Social Media Marketing – Changing Scenario – Impact on Industry and Way Forward and A Winning Formula for Bidding for International Conferences, and more. The Ministry of Tourism, West Bengal Government is the Platinum Sponsor and the State Partner, while Biswa Bangla Convention Centre is the Venue Partner for the forthcoming conclave.  

Jet Airways has commenced an additional flight between Delhi and Bangladesh capital Dhaka with effect from June 27. The four-day-a-week operation on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, is in line with the airline’s Think India, Think Jet Airways policy. This new service will complement the existing daily operations between the two cities, providing guests more flight choices between Bangladesh and India. Jet Airways 9W 280 will depart from Delhi at 1035 hrs (LT) and arrive into Dhaka at 13:45 hrs. On its return leg, Jet Airways 9W 279 will depart from Dhaka at 15:15 hrs (LT) and reach Delhi at 1725 hrs (LT). Gaurang Shetty, Whole-time Director, Jet Airways, said, “There was a need and potential to develop the operations between the capitals of India and Bangladesh. The new service presents an opportunity for businesses and leisure travellers to explore the potential of our neighbouring country. Guests from Dhaka can benefit from the connectivity options provided by Jet Airways’ extensive network across India and across the world through its hubs in New Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.” The airline has deployed a state-of-the-art Boeing 737-800 Next Generation (NG) aircraft on this route, offering Premiere and Economy guests the best in-flight product and services.  

With an aim to augment the career prospects of students in the field of tourism, Amadeus India recently conducted a training session for students at the University of Kashmir. The training was undertaken in collaboration with Travel Agents Association of India (TAAI) to introduce and prepare tomorrow’s budding professionals for the job market. Rakesh Bansal, CEO, Amadeus India, said, “Kashmir is one of the most preferred tourist destinations with thousands of travellers visiting throughout the year. We are trying to impart job training to students which will prepare them well and open up a lot of avenues when they step into the market for jobs eventually.” Sunil Kumar, President, TAAI said, “This week-long programme of Amadeus to train about 90 students on reservation and ticketing process has been a huge success. The students are now inspired to get actively connected with the growing travel and tourism industry that requires specialised training to meet the ever-increasing demands of the industry. We are delighted to join hands with Amadeus India who have played a valuable role in organising this training for the students of J&K.” As part of the company’s CSR initiative, the training focused on imparting the right skills, aptitude, knowledge and approach by showcasing different models and case scenarios.

Sarovar Hotels has announced the opening of Nataraj Sarovar Portico Jhansi, consolidating the group’s foray into Uttar Pradesh. The 72-room hotel is also the first branded hotel in the smart city. The hotel was inaugurated in the presence of Sanjay Khanna, Managing Director, Nataraj Mobiles and Ajay K Bakaya, Managing Director, Sarovar Hotels & Resorts. Owned by Nataraj Sai Hotels, Nataraj Sarovar Portico is the city’s first contemporary hotel in this evolving city. The well-appointed rooms and suites with all modern amenities complemented with personalised services, offer a truly memorable stay. The hotel also offers fully equipped conferencing and banquet spaces and facilities for up to 500 guests. Commenting on the development, Bakaya said, “We are glad to open the first branded hotel in this historic city of Jhansi and the fifth hotel in Uttar Pradesh. With its significant development, Jhansi is an important destination with rising number of visitors from across the country. This is set to be the best hotel in the city and will cater to the needs of corporate, groups, leisure and conferences.” Sarovar Hotels is targeting to have 100 hotels under its portfolio by 2020. Expected openings in 2018 include hotels in Jaisalmer, Somnath, Dibrugarh, Junagadh, Gorakhpur and Lusaka, Zambia.

Tree Leaf Kipling Lodge in Ranthambore, is set to open doors on July 1, 2018. The property is the latest addition to the brand’s portfolio, which already operates two properties—Tree Leaf Vantara Resort & Spa in Udaipur and Tree Leaf Marari Sands Beach Resort, Marari-Kerala. The latest property will be the first one to offer a unique wildlife experience to patrons and is named after the famous Mumbai-born British poet and novelist Rudyard Kipling, who wrote The Jungle Book. The property allows guests to unwind in a sanctuary close to the Ranthambore forest reserve and offers a personalised hospitality experience amidst natural surroundings.

GVK Mumbai International Airport Limited (MIAL), the company that administers the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport (CSIA), achieved yet another milestone by becoming the only airport in the country and second globally, to achieve a three-year extension of ACI’s Airport Carbon Accreditation (ACA) ‘Level 3+ Neutrality’ certification. This certification is conferred by the Airports Council International (ACI), the global authority of International Airports. ACA ‘Level 3+ Neutrality’ accreditation is the highest level of environmental achievement available to airports for their contribution in offsetting carbon emissions. This certification assumes greater importance given that CSI Airport, Mumbai has the credit of being the busiest airport with a single runway with more than 48.5 million passengers having travelled to and from Mumbai. The accreditation will be valid till May 2021 and is the outcome of continuous efforts for environmental protection, energy management and reduction of carbon emissions in airport operations. Three year renewal of ACA Level 3+ requires an airport to fulfill stringent requirement of achieving reduction (verified by third party) in GHG emissions of one of its Scope 3 activity, in addition to the reduction of Scope 1 & Scope 2 emissions.  

Sanjay Kumar, Chief Commercial Officer, IndiGo, has resigned from the airline, with effect from July 15, 2018, to pursue other career interests. William Boulter, currently Chief Strategy Officer, will be taking over as Chief Commercial Officer. Rahul Bhatia, Interim CEO, IndiGo, said, “I would like to thank Sanjay for all he has done for the company in making IndiGo the airline it is. We are successful at what we do and Sanjay’s contribution has been very significant in getting us to the level we are today. I am grateful for all his hard work since he joined in January 2007 and wish him all the best in his future endeavours.” Kumar said, “The last 12 years at IndiGo has been the most satisfying and rewarding experience of my career. I am extremely proud to have been a part of commercial success of the airline. I would like to thank the founders and all colleagues for their support during this time.”  

Hilton has announced the appointment Matt Fry as Senior Vice President—Development in Asia Pacific (APAC). Effective August 6, 2018, Fry will oversee the team responsible for the overall development strategy for APAC. “We are thrilled to have Matt join our team and oversee the strategic growth in APAC,” said Ian Carter, President—Global Development, Architecture, Design and Construction, Hilton. “His appointment represents our commitment to building on our tremendous success and achievements there. Fry’s extensive experience in the real estate and development industry will be invaluable as we continue to expand our global footprint in this region.” A seasoned professional, Fry brings with him to Hilton over 20 years of experience in the real estate and development industry with nearly 18 years leading diverse teams at Starwood Hotels & Resorts. Most recently, Fry served as the head of global real estate operations and America’s real estate at WeWork, a company growing rapidly around the world to provide shared workspaces with a strong emphasis on community for entrepreneurs, freelancers, small businesses and large enterprises. “I am excited to be joining the world’s most hospitable company and overseeing the development efforts for APAC,” said Fry. “Hilton has had incredible growth and the best-performing portfolio of brands in the business. This is a testament to the incredible global development team, which I am eager to work with during this exciting time for the company and industry.” Fry will be based in Hilton’s APAC regional office in Singapore and will report to Ian Carter, president, global development, architecture, design and construction.